Enchanting fantasy turns teen into sweet, selfless princess.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this enchanting fairy tale has some sad and scary scenes that might be disturbing for very young or sensitive kids. Maria loses her father early in the movie, though the audience never actually meets him. Also, one family is portrayed as villainous, and they wear dark clothes and masks, and there are some brief battle scenes with Maria being chased. A magical, protective black dog has red eyes and transforms into a fierce lion when the enemies appear. Maria -- who's selfless and generous -- is a great role model for kids, and the movie has strongly positive messages about achieving your goals.
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Violence & Scariness
a little
Maria loses her father early in the movie, which could upset some kids. Also, a few short battles in which Maria is chased by villians; they're short, but the darkness and dramatic lighting may frighten young children. Some other slightly scary scenes involving mysterious movements of doors and walls.
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Maria overcomes the loss of her father and shows that you don't need power and authority to fix the things that are broken in the world. As long as you have desire, will, and understanding, anything is possible.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Many positive role models, and those who act as negative role models are reformed in the end. Maria survives the loss of her father with a positive attitude. Her kind, generous nature lifts the unhappy spirits surrounding her. Although she comes from a lavish lifestyle, Maria isn't interested in power and greed. Her selfless acts save Moonacre and teach the others how to open their hearts.
Educational Value
very little
Kids are taught the value of generosity and understanding.
I think this is an enchanting fairytale that I watched at a young age and absolutely loved, I watched it recently with my daughter and enjoyed it too.
For very young children there are a few scenes including a chase where the person being chased is screaming, this can be distressing for some sensitive children. During these scenes the main character is also dragged by her arm and forced onto her knees, this can be distressing if your child is scared by authoritative figures using excess force.
Another point I would like to add is that Benjamin (the uncle, and father figure) is seen constantly drinking throughout the day to the point where he needs to take a hangover drink with an egg. Unless the child has come into contact with day drinking before it is not so noticeable. Another drink encounter is when a group of rowdy teenagers appear drunk although their behavior can be explained. Just something to be wary of.
Consumerism is also present (although you'd be hard-pressed to find a movie without it) both families show express selfishness and willingness to do anything to get the 'moon pearls' which leads to a fight. However, this is amended as both characters make up and have a positive relationship out of it.
I think the movie has a few good role models like the main character, some of the background characters are not so 'model' and can be thuggish in their behavior although none of this is capitalized on or encouraged.
Overall I cannot recommend this movie enough for its pure escapism and fairytale-like quality but made real for children.
Honestly, half the negative points I made earlier are present in almost every child's movie but I thought I had better include them in case the child is particularly sensitive to certain aspects of live-action movies.
(My daughter was often scared of Stuart little almost drowning, so I want to be conscious of dangerous situations viewed in movies.)
Great fantasy film.
Lead girl helps break a curse that’s on the country.
At start father dies-but portrayed by funeral and talk.
We watched together as family- few chase scenes my 5year old cuddled on for but still enjoyed.
Spoiler- her dog is shot in final chase and looks like it has passed - this is upsetting but he doesn’t die.
Spoiler 2- lead girl jumps off cliff and looks like she drowns, my children were concerned but also convinced her unicorn would save her in this magical land (correct)- so were not upset by this as waiting for the rescue- but other children might be upset.
Adults are too proud and stuck in their ways - warring families. But younger generation manage to bring all together. Nice to show you can still be better- and every generation has chance to improve.
What's the Story?
Maria Merryweather (Dakota Blue Richards), agirl ofgreat fortune and wealth, finds herself homeless and orphaned at the age of 13. The only inheritance Maria receives from her deceased father is a bookthat tellsthe legend ofMoonacre's famousMoon Princess. Forced to leave her home in London, Maria moves to the countryside of Moonacre Manorto live with an uncle she has never met. Maria's uncle, Sir Benjamin (Ioan Gruffudd), is unfriendly and aloof until he notices Maria'suncanny relationship with the animals surrounding the castle. The horses flock to her, and the dog becomes her immediate companion. When the walls surrounding her mysteriously come to life, Maria quickly learns that she is the last Moon Princess and must save Moonacre from an ancient curse. It's upto her to uniteher family with its rivals, theDe Noirs, before the 5,000th moon rises.
This is a beautiful and enchanting tale about a little princess whose selfless actions save an entire kingdom. When Maria takes it upon herself to unite her family with their centuries-old adversaries, the De Noir family, she's pleasantly surprised to find some unlikely characters coming to her aid. With the many magical creatures lurking throughout the castle, you start to wonder whether the castle itself might be magical: walls change form, trap doors appear, and white horses turn into unicorns.
The delightful film, directed by Gábor Csupó (Bridge to Terabithia), will appeal to tweens with an appreciation for magic and fantasy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the battle between the Merryweathers and the De Noirs. Is their disagreement only about a string of pearls? What do you think the pearls represent? How does your family handle disagreements?
When looking at the role that men and women play in this film, what differences do you notice? Do males or females seem to be more villainous than the others? Does the film perpetuate any stereotypes?
Do you think that father De Noir lacks sincerity in the end, or does he truly learn a lesson? And who do you think is most responsible for Maria's kind-hearted nature?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Karen Wirsing
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
